Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts

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By Brian Linder

Has a location for Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone been chosen?¿ Rumors abound on Harry Potter fan sites that Alnwick Castle, in England, may have been selected as the principle shooting location for the school of witchcraft and wizardry.

A bird's eye view of Alnwick Castle

Alnwick is¿home to the Duke of Northumberland, and is the second oldest inhabited castle in England.¿ The castle's origins are unknown, but its first recorded mention is from the year 1096.¿¿

His Grace the Duke of Northumberland describes the castle as, "a foreboding medieval building housing a sumptuous classical interior, full of great works of art."

The Duke continues, "It is a real pleasure to share all this with thousands of visitors each year, and I hope you will join them and us in this magical place."

Did he say "magical?"¿ Hmmm.¿ A clue?¿ Probably not, but we did manage to dig up a pretty interesting connection between Harry Potter and the ancient castle.

The castle has been used in many films over the years, and has accumulated an impressive filmography.¿Becket with Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton was filmed there, as well as Vanessa Redgrave's Mary Queen of Scots.¿ Ivanhoe starring Anthony Andrews and Sam Neill was shot on location at Alnwick, as was Kevin Costner's Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.¿¿

The intriguing connection comes with the little-known 1979 Disney film The Spaceman and King Arthur.¿ The Spaceman and King Arthurstarred the late Kenneth Moore, along with Dennis Dugan, Ron Moody, and Jim Dale.¿ Any of you Potter fans' ears perk up at that last name?¿ Jim Dale is an acclaimed stage and screen actor, whose most popular work of late is his performance of the unabridged audio version of the Harry Potter books.¿ Could Dale be somehow involved with the Potter movie production and have tipped off the producer's to this enchanted location? It's possible.¿¿

If Jim Dale isn't involved in the Potter film, he definitely should be.¿ Jim is a talented actor whose remarkable performance of the Harry Potter series is a perfect match with J.K. Rowling's unique style. By the end of the 4th Harry Potter book Dale had established an astounding 125 speaking characters in the Potter mythos.¿

-- Brian Linder thinks Alnwick is nice, but can't wait to see what they add with CG.¿ Let's see some concept art on the official site!